On-Site Computer Repair Service

Monthly Archives: June 2013

In the last 2 blog posts we have addressed common and dangerous computer security threats and have discussed the # 1 computer problem – slow computer performance. The following post will expand on the topic of widespread computer issues. KARLS TECHNOLOGY hopes that this essential computer knowledge will help technology users prolong the lifespan of their digital devices!

What’s the strange WHIRRING NOISE coming from inside your PC? Most likely this is a sign of an overtaxed or dying FAN. Your fan may have come loose or may have become clogged with dirt and dust, decreasing its effectiveness and requiring it to work harder than it should have to. Thus, it is vital to clean out any dirt and debris that may obstruct the computer’s ventilation. A non-functional fan can potentially cause OVERHEATING as well. All components of a computer demand appropriate and sufficient ventilation and cooling, as they generate heat during operation. When you are dealing with any kind of odd computer noise it is of utmost importance to perform a backup of all valuable, irreplaceable files saved on the system’s hard drive. Although clicking sounds are the predominant, ominous indicators of a HARD DRIVE CRASH, failing to acknowledge other strange noises as a sign of a potentially serious issue could result in catastrophic data loss. There are many possible causes for hard drive failure, including overheating, faulty air filter, power surges, violent vibration, static electricity, mechanical failure and virus infection.

First and foremost, every technology user should be aware of a computer’s limitations with regards to the amount of storage space, RAM as well as processing power & speed. The more programs you have installed on your computer and the more documents, graphics, pictures, music, videos and toolbars you have saved on your system, the slower your computer will become eventually. Additionally, useless temporary files, cookies and data (e.g. from web browsing and unexpected computer restarts) can accumulate on your system and degrade your computer’s performance gradually. This unnecessary debris takes up precious drive space and needlessly overburdens and exhausts your systems processing load. Low hard drive space, insufficient memory storage and/or deficient processing power to perform your desired actions can also lead to software crashes and cause your system to slow down considerably.

During a computer’s startup process certain indispensable programs are required to start and run automatically. However, there are plenty of applications which, by default, launch at start-up automatically and run needlessly in the background. Combined with the desired programs and applications you have started up yourself, there are likely too many services running at once, further contributing to your computer’s performance loss. Every program uses a small amount of processing power, even if it is merely running in the background. Hence, it takes significantly longer for your computer to start up when it is attempting to load many different apps simultaneously.

Another possible reason for a sluggish computer performance is the fragmentation (‘messiness’) of your system’s hard drive. When creating and saving new files on a computer, they are written onto the surface of the computer’s hard drive in no particular order and in a fragmented configuration. Instead of saving a file as a single unit, it is split up into several units and stored across various locations on the hard drive. Over time users create, save and delete more and more files, thereby steadily amplifying the fragmented nature of the computer’s hard drive. The process of gathering the scattered pieces demands increasingly more time and overtaxes the computer’s resources. Consequently, the computer’s responsiveness slows down. What can help? –> Defragmentation software!

A computer system’s painfully slow performance may also indicate the presence of malicious security threats on your computer. Be sure to check out our previous blog post which covers the most common and dangerous types of security threats! http://www.karlstechnology.com/blog/computersecurityissues/

Karls Technology Computer Repair will perform regular maintenance on your computer system to sustain the speed and responsiveness of your computer! Don’t be a victim of the # 1 computer problem. Let us help you instead!

3) Virus–> Infects a computer and replicates itself within the system memory, uses the infected computer as a carrier to spread the virus to other computer systems (worm), may have malware programmed into the virus code

4) Rootkit–> Allows cybercriminals to gain remote access to a victims computer and ultimately provides them with complete and utter control over the computer of an unsuspecting victim

In love with your digital gadgets and their conveniently handy shapes and sizes which allow you to take them with you on all your SUMMER travels and to all your SUMMER destinations? All things tech are dear to Karls Technology as well, and their protection from damage is of utmost priority to us. Let’s cover some basic tips and rules to ensure your technological devices are shielded from the summer heat & humidity, cold weather, splash & rain (if you’re poolside or at the beach, lucky you!), small debris and scratches as well as other physical damage (hiking or driving through rugged terrain)!

1) Temperature:

The summer heat can be quite relentless. While you may be enjoying a pleasantly cold swim to cool off, the phone/laptop/tablet you have brought along with you to stay connected wherever you are or to snap some fun summertime pictures cannot, unfortunately, escape the heat that easily. Both, dry and humid heat can inflict significant damage to your digital devices with the worst-case-scenario being the ‘heat-related death’. Overheating can ruin the hardware as well as the battery! Therefore, simple precautionary measures should be taken to keep your gadgets safe! Keep all technological devices out of direct sunlight, preferably in the shade if you chose to take it outside with you. Let your device cool off gradually, in case it has overheated due to prolonged exposure to the sun! Do not try to cool it down fast!!! Also, you can purchase special accessories for your laptop/tablet such as a ‘cooling pad’. This accessory is a great companion for any traveler as it keeps your device’s air circulation consistent when using it outdoors!

If you have chosen a cold and frosty environment for your summer vacation, some safety measures apply as well! First and foremost, be aware that cold temperatures are known for their adverse effect on battery life. Furthermore, it is advised to keep your device close to you (to your body, in a zipped pocket) so as to protect it from harsh (freezing) weather conditions. You also want to avoid sudden and frequent temperature changes as they can cause visual distortions in the display.

However, bear in mind that it is still the best and smartest decision to keep your digital device in a preferably air-conditioned, well ventilated room in a spot that is least exposed to the sunlight!

2) Water, Sand, Small Debris:

While your conventional smart-phone cover guards your phone against screen cracks, scratches and more serious damages from dropping your phone, it will not protect it from this frequently reported casualty – the dreaded water damage! Even a small amount of moisture can wreak havoc on your electronic device. Sand and small debris on the beach are your device’s enemy as well, as they can easily get stuck in the small crevices of your phone/tablet. This can lead to various annoying issues such as a malfunctioning keyboard or audio issues. However, it can also provoke more serious problems, corrupt your battery and eventually turn your phone into an utterly non-functional device. Spare yourself the pain, and instead protect your gadget with suitable waterproof cases such as “Smartphone and Tablet Sheaths”. For situations that necessitate heavy duty waterproof cases (e.g.: kayaking, rafting) you should try out protective accessories such as the Survivor & Catalyst waterproof case by Griffin, the DryCASE or the DryCASE Backpack!

The FBI Moneypak Virus is a very disturbing type of malware also referred to as ‘scareware’ or ‘ransomware’, as hackers distribute this virus with the purpose of scaring their targets into paying a ransom for a crime they never actually committed. This virus may enter a computer system through malicious downloads, email attachments and software update pop-ups. Once a system is infected the virus restricts access to the computer and directs its unsuspecting victims to a very realistic-looking, but fraudulent FBI screen detailing an alert message: The ‘FBI’ accuses the user of illegal, criminal activity (such as cyber-theft of copyrighted material) as a result of which the ‘FBI’ has seized and frozen access to the computer. The message includes very detailed instructions on how you can pay the fine within a specified time frame and also displays information regarding potential penalties and/or jail time as a consequence of payment refusal. In many scenarios, the virus controls a user’s web camera, shows an image of the user on the screen and claims to record the IP address. With these abominable scare tactics the cyber-criminal tries to convince his victims to pay for the “crimes” they allegedly committed.

The FBI virus infects critical system files and if the infection has progressed far enough (unfortunately, this is often the case) the virus may have achieved the ability to disable antivirus removal software. To make matters worse, hackers are constantly evolving and modifying this root kit to strengthen its resistance. There are several different variants of the FBI computer virus. Therefore, screen appearance, claims, notifications and warnings may vary.

An infected computer system may show the following screen:

DO NOT allow cybercriminals and their scare tactics to frighten you or force you to pay!

Karls Technology can and will successfully remove the FBI VIRUS from your computer system!!!

The dreaded “BSOD or Blue Screen Of Death” – the error message notorious for its confusing, intimidating text against an electric blue background screen. The infamous error with the irritating capability of popping up at the worst time imaginable, exactly when the unsuspecting technology user may have been working on something important or perhaps when he/she had almost reached the victorious next stage in a video game! Sound familiar?

Breathe….In some cases, a blue screen error, also referred to as a STOP error, is not a very severe issue but an annoying one regardless. Insufficient RAM or disk space is one of the simpler reasons as to why your system could be showing a blue screen error. However, all blue screen error messages can ultimately cause problems with the operating system and the hard drive over time. Therefore,EARLY PROBLEM DETECTION IS CRUCIAL. When your system encounters a critical error, your system shuts down (a preventative measure to avoid further damage) and the BSOD error message appears. In some cases the BSOD serves as an indicator of a very serious fundamental issue. Frequent BSOD’s suggest more serious problems and can cause considerable damage to your system. Here is a list of some potential underlying causes of a BSOD:

Physical hardware damage such as a faulty power supply or faulty RAM, malfunctioning hardware

The blue screen provides a cryptic breakdown of the existing issue. Our trusted Karls Technology engineers will utilize this message for diagnostic purposes and repair – IDENTIFY the address where the error message occurred, DETERMINE the type of error and most importantly, REPAIR & RESOLVE the issue!

Are you familiar with frustrating situations as portrayed in the above illustration? Perhaps you sought technological advice and assistance for your personal computer needs or for your small business, but the company you hired did not deliver the desired and promised outcome? Karls Technology is your one stop for all your essential TECHNOLOGICAL needs and demands!

There are countless advantages to having Karls Technology as your on-call computer specialist! We can get you set up with a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) to connect your family’s or your company’s computers in case you desire the ability to share documents, files and printers. If there are issues with an existing network, we will run diagnostics and resolve the technological problems, thereby restoring your system’s productivity and efficiency. The security of your wireless network is a paramount concern, as well. We will take fundamental computer safety measures to thwart and/or remove all invasive spyware & hacker threats and protect your personal, sensitive data. Our system optimization and regular maintenance services will furthermore boost and accelerate your computer’s performance! Data backup, secure data recovery and data migration are the requisite procedures and resources we use to prevent catastrophic data loss and/or to safely recover ‘lost’ data (dependent on the situation). Karls Technology also provides installation, repair & upgrade services for internal or external hardware devices as well as operating system installation including all the vital updates for your desktop or laptop.

Karls Technology sincerely aspires to provide you with the professional and superior Computer Consulting Services you deserve!

While surfing the Web your computer/smartphone/tablet is constantly downloading files, graphics and sometimes other software, thereby enabling you to use the web to its full capacity. Nevertheless, it is crucial to be aware of both your privacy and your security when browsing the Internet. Each and every digital device that is connected to the Internet can potentially fall victim to intrusive spyware (adware & malware) and phishing. Malicious software can be surreptitiously installed on any computer without the owner’s knowledge. Unfortunately, there are plenty of Spyware traps lurking on the Internet. Open a seemingly harmless web page, follow a deceptive hyperlink, a pop-up or a clickable graphic and with just one click you may have unknowingly opened the door for spyware-laden websites that threaten to compromise your web safety and privacy. While adware at its worst can slow down and eventually freeze your system due to the clutter it has accumulated on your computer, malware and viruses can lead you down a more dangerous path. They can take control of your device and perform malicious activities on your computer such as changing settings, harvesting personal data, recording keystrokes to seize passwords and other sensitive information, stealing files and spreading the virus to your email contacts in the form of spam.

3) Be SUSPICIOUS of emails, instant messages, files, graphics and links from unknown senders, as they could be contaminated with malware. BEWARE, as some websites and pop-ups can infect your system with malicious content, as well.

4) BACK UP – be sure to back up all the files that are of importance and of personal value to you. Storing copies of all your files will furthermore ensure that your data won’t be lost in case your system crashes.

Your second line of defense:

Firewalls and Antivirus Software are essential measures any internet user should take as these are powerful tools against invasive spyware – they will attempt to quarantine and delete any questionable content found on your system!

Whether you need diagnostics for your computer, virus removal or just advice on problems with your computer, Karls TechnologyComputer Repair is here to help!

We live in a world constantly in flux, in an era of awe-inspiring technological advancements with new and exciting digital gadgets and apps developed at an exponential rate. Whether it’s the newest mobile phone technology you crave, the lightest, thinnest and fastest laptop/tablet or the most sophisticated and efficient storage component (SSD vs. HHD), the wealth of technological inventions has considerably changed the way we function, connect and communicate in today’s modern society. Gadgets and devices are becoming smaller, thinner and smarter, while its usage and storage capacities are subject to an incessant optimization. However, in this time of astounding technological development and progress, digital thievery and computer hacking, has sadly seen a soaring and widespread growth as well, targeting not only large corporations but also the individual technology user. This demographic is alarming and worrisome, as most of us have sensitive personal, confidential information as well as invaluable private data saved on our technological devices. Furthermore, any technology user’s digital footprint may inextricably link some of this sensitive data to their online presence. In the face of imminent electronic privacy and security issues KARLS TECHNOLOGY is dedicated to keeping our clients’ data protected against malicious scams and computer viruses.

Detecting and removing malware from a compromised system as well as recovering any ‘lost’ or encrypted data are just a few of the quality services Karls Technology Computer Repair has to offer! Call us with any questions or concerns, for superior advice on all things tech as well as for information on business IT consulting!